Apparatus for receiving mail from and delivering it to aeroplanes while in flight



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APPARATUS FOR Rect-:l vim; MA1 1 FROM AND DELI vERxNG |T To AEROPLANESWHILE IN Fm GHT W. R.. CPPAGE.

2 SHEETS-SHEET] Fx LED Nov.

llllllllll Een, 26 H922 23,44%279 IT To EROPLANES WHILE IN FLIGHT III.R. coPPAGE.

APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING MAIL FRoM AND DELIVERING FILED Novy 2 PatentedDee, 2E, 1922,

' NETE@ STATES LMGTZT@ PATENT @EETEEQ VILLAll/I R. COPPAGE, OFWASHNGTON, DSTRCT 0F COLUMBIA.

APPARATUS FOR RECETVJNG MATT; FRGM" AND DELVERNG IT T0 AEROPLANES WHCLE1N IFLG-HT.

eppucation :ned november e, wie. 'serial' no. 260,85@

' To aZZwwm it may concern.'

Be it known that l, WILLIAM R. Corri/ion, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Washington, District of Columbia, haveinvented certain new, and useful improvements in Apparatus for ReceivingMail from and Delivering lt to Aeroplanes While in Flight; and l dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an 4improvement in apparatus for receiving mailfrom and delivering it toaeroplanes whilein flight, and it consists inthe parts and combination of parts and in the details of construction aswill be more fully explained and tion to receive and deliver mail;Figure 2 is a view showing the apparatus collapsed or folded, partsbeing in section; Figure 3 is a plan'view of the parts as shown in Figure 1; Figure i is a view of a detail and Figure 5 is a view insection showing the means for suspending and releasing a mail bag. j

1 represents a frame which may be specially prepared to receive myapparatus, or it may be a building specially constructed orredesigned'to receive the apparatus which must be sufliciently highabove adjacent objects to provide for safe aeroplane travel. The top ofthe iframe or building 1 carries the bearing 2 through which the mast 3passes, the bearing 2 being provided with a flange for its attachment tothe frame and counterbored to iform a runway for the anti-friction balls4: on which the lower end of the sleeve 5 rests and' turns. rllhe mast 3passes through the sleeve 5 and bearing 2, and is provided with anelongated slot 6, in which the inner end of the pin 7,Y

carried by the upper end of the sleeve, rests to lock the sleeve andmast against independent turning `movement, the mast however being :freeto move vertically in l the sleeve,

The 1sleeve 5 4is provided with an integral or rigid storm wheel 8 whichmeshes with the worm 9 for turning thesleeve and the mast so as toproperly present the apparatus to an approaching aeroplane, and the mastis provided at its lower end with a sheave block 10, the sheaves ofwhich areengaged by the rope 11 employed for raising and lowering themast. One end of the rope 11 is made fast at 12 and passes down underone sheave of block 10; up over sheave 18, down under the second sheaveon block 10 and-up to the drum 14 which maybe acltuated by hand power ormotor as preferred.'

With the construction thus far described it will be seen that the mastis supported on and carried by the block 10 to which it is swiveled andis sustained laterally by the bea-ring 2 and'thimble 5, and is turned inits bearing and on the sheave block by the sleeve 5. n

Journalled in the elbow 3"a at the upperl end of the mast 3 is theV-shaped yoke 15, and pivotally secured to the free ends of the two sidemembers of the yoke is the V- shaped guiding frame 16, which isconnected to the yoke near its wider end. The sides ot this guidingframe come together at their Jiront ends and are pivotally connected atsaid front end to the upper end of the jointed brace rod 17. rllheguiding frame 16 may be of wood or light metal and is constructed to.present free unobstructed side surfaces against which a rope orv cablerdepending from an aeroplane, can slide or pass over it without meetingany obstructions, rlll'iis brace rod 17 is provided with a rule joint18, and is pivotally connected at 19 to the platform 20, which issecured by brace 21 to the mast 3 and loosely rests on the top of theturn table 22. This platform 20 has an opening for the passager of themast 3, and theturn table on which the platform is loosely supported, ismounted toturnon the bearing 231 secured to thev mast 3,' rollers 24abeing interposed between the turn table and bearing to lessen thefriclslots 25, thefront of which are restricted 4and rounded as shown inFigure 3, so ,that

over the same with the mail bag suspended as shown in Figure 1. The twoarms 24 are rigidly secured to the turn table 22 hence when either armis struck or engaged by the bag carrying cable 26, the contact of thecable against the arm will swing the latter rearwardly, and turn thetable 22 and the receiving baskets 28 carried by the turn table in thedirection of movement of the mail bag to be discharged. rlhese basketsare preferably shaped as shown and are located at opposite sides of themast, one at the rear of each arm 24, and in a positionto receive thebag to be discharged, and each is composed of a exible body, preferably4of netting, and a rigid, preferably sheet metal, bottom 28a, the latteroperating to hold the basket open. These baskets are supported at thetop by the arms 29 secured to the turn table 22, and are attached attheir vbottom to a rod 30 looped at its centre to embrace the mast, butnot connected with the latter. With this construction, when the mast yislowered from the position shown in Figure 1, to that shown in Figure 2,the rod 30 is lowered until it rests on the top of the sleeve 5, andduring the continued downward movement of the arms 29, which carry thebaskets, `the flexible the lever 30 which projects forwardly there-l tofrom, as shown in Figure l, is attached to one Ybody of the latter'foldsor collapses. Whenand turned rearwardly, the baskets turn with the 'armsand are therefore/always in a position to receive the bag. 27l when thelatter becomes detached from`its rope 26.

Secured to the yoke 15, between the side members thereof, is the crosshead 31 of the lever 3 0. rll`his cross head is journalledat its endsinthe Side lmembers ofthe yoke, and

end of wire32, the other end of said wire being secured tothe pin 7carried by the j sleeve 5. This wire passes around sheave 33 on thejointed arm 17, and thence rear-v wardly over sheave 34:"carried by themast, ,andl operates to hold the jointed armin proper position when 'themast is elevated,

and to slack ,up and permit the joint`18 in .arm 17 to break as the-mastis lowered.` As

the mast risesfrom the position sho-wn in Figure 2, the slack on thewire 32 is taken up, andthe pully .thereof onthe lever 30 causesAthelatterto fulcrumgen-the top ofthe mast and thuselevate the gyo'ke andthe rear end of the frame-".16 carried by the yoke,

while the pull ofthe wire on the jointed rod 17 straightens the latterthus elevating the front end of frame 16, so that by the time the'mastreaches its normal operative position, the frame 16 will have beenelevated to a horizontal position above the top of the mast and so heldby the tension of wire 32. ln lowering the mast, the loosening up of thewire permits the joint in rod 17 to break and thus gradually lower thefront end of frame 16, and as the descent ofthe mast continues, thesprings 35 secured to the mast and acting on the pins 36 projecting fromthe yoke,15 at the sides of the bearing in the mast for the latter,throw the yoke rearwardly thus lowering the rear -end of frame 16, thewire 32 in the mean time, permitting of the collapsing'of these partsonly as the mast descends and preventing lany sudden dropping of any ofthe parts.A

In the operation of theY apparatus the mail bag 27 is suspended by cable26 from an aeroplane flying sufliciently close to the a paratus for thepilot to readily see al1 parts of the latter, and accurately judge 'theelef vation at which the bag 27 `must hang. The bag must be in ahorizontal plane-below the arm 24:, and above the bottom of the basketsand this space is therefore madeample so that great accuracy inpositioning the bag by the pilot will not be required. The pilot shouldmove in the general direction of the pointed end of the frame 16 whichcan be turned by the wheel' 8 and worm 9l toV any1 direction so as ltobring the apex of the guiding frame toward the approaching aerol planeor in the general direction to be. traversed by the same.` As theaeroplane approaches the station, the bag is lowered by 'anoperator to apredetermined distance below the'machine and the latter'brought to theproper altitude by the pilot. As the aeroplane continues its flight thecable 26 engages one side of the guiding frame 16, along which it slidesuntil it encounters oneof the arms 24 and enters one of the slots v25 inthe latter. After the cable has entered the slot the continued pullonthe cable i draws it over the arin and pulls the bag holding means upinto contact with the underside of thearm, as shown in. Figure` 5.

The bag' holding means comprises two aws 36 pivoted together and'adapted to embrace cable 26. adapted to embrace the sphere as shown andeach is provided with a depending finger 38,

the two fingers being so positioned that the tl'e, sphere or ball 37carried at the end of Each jaw 36 is concaved and'i20 l integereconsequently after the holding jaws 36 have been disengaged from thesphere, the latter is free to be drawn through the slot without dangerof wedging therein.

rlhe cable 26 also carries the mail bag catcher 39, which is rounded oroblong; slightly concaved at its upper end and provided with acontinuous series or sharp ridges externally throughout its length.rlhis catcher is located so as to come between the turn table 22 and theguiding frame 16,

ras shown in Figure l and enter thelobped rope to which the mail bag 27ais secured. This bag 27a which is to be taken up by the aeroplane isplaced on the platform 20, andthe loop l() thereotl is passed around thearms il carried by the platform which armsextend out beyond the sides ofthe guiding frame 16, as shown in Figure 4. The loop 40 extends up toand over guiding frame 16 so that the catcher 39, which is guided in itsmovements by the guiding Jframe 16, will enter the loop. The catcher,when it strikes the loop, will engage it and pull it and the bag 27 fromthe platform. As the catcher engagesthe loop 40, the upwardly projectingpoints formed by concaving its upper end and grooving its sides, engagethe loop and causes the opposite portion thereof on opposite sides ofthe catcher to enter the groovesin the latter and thus hold the loopagainst accidental detachment even'unde-r the swaying action of the bag.

After one bag has been discharged and vone .bag caught, the apparatusmaybe lowered until time `for the next delivery.

lhlavingfully described my -invention what l claim as new anddesire tosecure by laetters-Patent, is

' il. ln an aeroplane mail delivering apparatus, the combination of amast, means for raising and lowering'the same, a guide carried `by the4mast and adapted to be turned towardthe approaching mail bag, areceptacle for the mail bag located vbelow the guide,1and meansintermediate the vguide and thejreceptacle for detaching the mail bagfrom its suspending means.

2. lln mail bag combination or' a receiving receptacle for a mail bag, adiagonally disposed guide for die recting a suspended mail bag laterallyand into a position to enter the receiving receptacle, and means-located in horizontal plane intermediate said guide and the receptaclefor,V releasing the bagfrom its suspending neans.

3; ln a mail bag-,delivering apparatus, the

delivering apparatus, the

combination of a receiving receptacle for a mail bag, the saidreceptacle being yieldingly mounted so as to give under impact, a

diagonallyv disposed guide for directing a suspended mailbag laterallyand into a position to enter the receiving receptacle and means torreleasing the bag from its suspending means 4. ln an aeroplane maildelivering apparatus, the combination of a receiving receptacle, all-shaped guide for directing a suspended bag to said receptacle, meansfor disconnecting the bag from the suspending means and a rotary mastcarrying the receptacle, guide and bag disconnecting means.

5. llny an aeroplane mail delivering apparatus, the combination of asupport, a mail bag receiving receptacle mounted to move on saidsupport, -a guide for directing a suspended bag to the receptacle, andmeans also mounted to move on said support for disconnecting tlfie bagfrom the suspending means, the said disconnecting means being connectedwith the means carrying the receptacle whereby'they willrbemoved-together and in thejsame direction by the contact of thesuspending means with the disconnecting means; or thecontactoic the mailbag 1 with the receptacle.

6. ln an aeroplane mail delivering apparatus, the combination of arotary adjustable mast, a mail bag receiving receptacle carried eithervof said baskets, and means for ldisconnecting thel bag irom\thesuspending means.

8. 'llhe combination of a mast, means for elevating and lowering it,means tor turning it, basket supporting means mounted to turn on' saidmasa-two baskets carried. by said supporting means, a guidetor directinga means tor disconnecting the bag from the suspending means 9. 'l` hecombination of a rotary and verti- V,cally movable! mast, .basketsupporting means mounted to turn on said mast, two

baslrets carried by said supporting means, a guide ior directing'asuspended bag to either of said baskets and means for disconnecting theban from the suspending means.-

10. 'lhe combination of a' mast, a V-shaped guide carried said mast andadapted to e raised and lowered thereon, mail bag receiving means alsocarried 'by said mast, and means 4intermediate the guide and receiving115 suspended bag to veither of said baskets, and. f

means for disconnecting the bag from the suspending means.

1l. The combination of a mast, means for raising and lowering andturning the saine, a guide carried by the mast at the upper end of thelatter, a receiving basket and means intermediate the receiving basketand guide, when the latter is in its elevated op erative position fordisconnecting the bag from its suspending means.

l2. In a mail bag delivering apparatus, the combination ot' a support,an arm carried by said support and having curved slots therein, a basketat the rear of the arm, a suspending device terminating in a holdingmember, and a clamp carrying a Inail bag and composed ot' two jawsadapted to embrace said holding member on the suspending device, eachjaw of the clamp having an upwardly projecting end or lug adapted toengage the under side of the slotted arm whereby when the lugs ontheclamp engage the arm, the jaws will be forced apart thus releasingthe bag from the suspending means.

13. In a mail bag delivering and receivingv apparatus the combination ofa support, a basket for receivingI a bag of mail, a plat form forsupporting a bag of mail, the said bag having a loop to be engaged by acatching device, a. guide for guiding a mail bag suspending device,means for detaching the bag from said suspending device, and a catchingdevice carried on the suspending device and adapted to engage the loopon the bag carried on the platform of the sup- Jort. I In testimonywhereof, l have signed this specification in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses. i VVR/LR. COPPAGE. l/Vfitnesses: CHAs. H. CLARK,JR., W. C. BRAsHEARs.

